Page 61 of Something Blue

Sadie fed him some medicine and made him eat some soup.

“Everything seems so real.” He felt deliriously happy and didn’t want his dream to end. “Will you stay with me?”

She stared wide-eyed at him for a second before he pulled her into bed next to him.

“This is my dream. You have to do what I say.” Her body fit perfectly against his, and he closed his eyes and slipped his arms around her waist.

She obediently stayed next to his side as he drifted back into a dreamless state. It was dark before he opened his eyes, and when he felt around for her, Sadie wasn’t cuddled in front of him. He sat up and looked around. Empty nothingness. Empty walls. Empty floors. Empty—

“You’re up?” Sadie asked, breaking into his thoughts. He stared at her as she walked into the room to sit on the edge of his bed. “You slept a long time.”

He rubbed his eyes and looked at her again, but she didn’t disappear. “You’re really here?”

She laughed softly. “It was cute the way you thought of me as a dream, but yes, I’m really here.”

He stared at her to make sure she didn’t disappear. “But why?”

She sighed. “Your assistant called. He figured you weren’t taking care of yourself. He said you’ve been working too hard lately, not getting much sleep. Plus, having been around me, you didn’t stand a chance of not getting sick.”

In case he was still dreaming, he stood up and flicked on the light to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. He reached for her hand. There it was, soft and cool. She was actually there!

She pulled her hand away softly, then touched his forehead. “Fever is all gone.” Then she checked her watch and sighed. “I need to get going. Chase is meeting me in a few hours, and you need to get up and shower before your meeting.”

Andy’s mouth dropped open. “You’re still going to meet him?”

She turned her head sideways as if she hadn’t heard him right. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because,” he stuttered, “you’re here with me now. Why would you come if you didn’t have feelings for me?”

Without saying a word, she stared at him, then, after a minute, said, “Because you’re my friend, and friends care about each other.”

Her lip trembled before she turned and headed toward the front door. Andy wanted to chase her down, to embrace her, but he felt like all the stuffing had been kicked out of him.

26

Sadie

Sadie tapped the table with her fingernails and glanced at the menu. Even though she couldn’t see him, she knew Chase’s eyes were on her and not on what he wanted for lunch. The visit to her mother’s grave had gone smoothly enough, but she couldn’t keep Andy from her thoughts. Did he feel better? Had he been named the new CEO at the board meeting?

“I never thought I would visit you anywhere other than Florida,” Chase said, grabbing her attention again.

She studied his profile as he talked. It was weird seeing him in normal clothes.

He continued, “I always thought about it when we hung out in Florida, but it seemed kind of surreal.”

“I feel the same. In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you anywhere but within ten miles of an ocean.”

“Okay, so it’s not just weird for me, then?” he asked.

She looked up and laughed. “Glad we feel the same.”

They ordered shakes, fries, and burgers when the waitress came, then settled into a light conversation about old times. When Chase told a story that included Piper, he stopped short.

“How are you doing?” she asked.

He coughed and shook his head. “It’s still hard for me. I didn’t think it would be, but I actually miss her nagging. Her parents have told me she’s trying to change.”

Even though Sadie thought she’d feel jealous when they eventually brought this subject up, she felt nothing at all. “Have you talked to her since . . . Florida?”

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